Are you wondering what your 1944 quarter is worth? Well, for starters you should know that it’s worth more than 25 cents. Some 1944 Washington quarters are worth thousands while others are worth hundreds. It all depends on the condition and grade of your coin. This article includes information about the value of different grades and varieties of the 1944 quarter-dollar including the error coins.
1944 Quarter Features
The 1944 quarter dollar is the 12th in the silver Washington quarter series of 1932 to 1964. It was designed by John Flanagan and features the image of US President George Washington on the obverse, and an eagle on the reverse side.
The coin is made of an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. It has a reeded edge and weighs 6.3 grams, with a width of 24.3 mm. These 1944 quarters were minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, with a collective mintage of 132.1 million.
1944 Quarter: Grades and Values
| 1944 Quarter Value Chart | ||||
| Mint | Extra fine
(XF40) |
Uncirculated
(MS60) |
Brilliant uncirculated
(MS65) |
Gem uncirculated
(MS68) |
| 1944-P Quarter | $6 | $10 | $34 | $14,000 |
| 1944-D Quarter | $9 | $12 | $40 | $11,000 |
| 1944-S Quarter | $9 | $15 | $46 | $9,500 |
1944 Washington quarter is a relatively common coin, especially the circulated coins, which cost $5 to $9.
Uncirculated coins are fairly common, with prices ranging from $10 to $40, depending on their grade. An MS65 typically costs about $40.
The gem uncirculated quarters are the most valuable. A no-mint mark gem uncirculated 1944 quarter is worth $14,500, while the D and S-marked gem coins are worth $11,000 and $9,500, respectively.
1944 No Mint Mark (P) Quarter: Value and Grading
The Philadelphia mint struck the highest number of 1944 quarters; there were over 104.9 million coins without mint marks. Circulated grades of 1944 no-mint mark quarters are plentiful today and also affordable at $6 to $9.
Mint state Washington quarters are also common, so the prices are equally affordable and you can get an MS60 for $10 and an MS65 for $35.
But while MS65 coins aren’t scarce, gem uncirculated 1944 Washington quarters are rare. As a result, there is a significant rise in the value of an MS67, which is worth $325.
Then there are the true gem uncirculated quarters that are one in a million, with an MS68 coin valued at $14,000. But these coins could be worth even more, as was the case in a 2022 Heritage Auctions event that saw a 1944 (p) MS68 Washington quarter sell for an impressive $16,800.
| 1944 No Mint (P) Quarter Value Chart | |
| Grade | Value |
| Good (G4) | $6 |
| Extra Fine (XF40) | $6 |
| About Uncirculated (AU55) | $8 |
| MS 60 | $10 |
| MS 61 | $11 |
| MS 62 | $14 |
| MS 63 | $18 |
| MS 64 | $24 |
| MS 64+ | $27 |
| MS 65 | $34 |
| MS 65+ | $38 |
| MS 66 | $52 |
| MS 66+ | $85 |
| MS 67 | $325 |
| MS 67+ | $950 |
| MS 68 | $14,000 |
1944-D Quarter: Grading and Value
The Denver mint was considerably less productive than the Philadelphia mint, only producing about 14.5 million 1944 Washington quarters.
These D-marked quarters are widely available in circulated grades, where you can get them for $6 to $11.
Even mint state 1944-D quarters are plentiful and inexpensive, and an entry-level MS60 costs $12. You can get an MS66 1944-D Quarter for $65, while an MS67 costs $250.
There are very few 1944-D quarters in MS68 or higher, so such coins command a much higher premium. For instance, an MS68 is worth about $11,000. But The auction record is slightly lower, at $10,575 for an MS68 sold by Heritage Auctions in August 2015.
| 1944-D Quarter Value Chart | |
| Grade | Value |
| Good (G4) | $6 |
| Extra Fine (XF40) | $9 |
| About Uncirculated (AU55) | $11 |
| MS 60 | $12 |
| MS 61 | $12 |
| MS 62 | $14 |
| MS 63 | $20 |
| MS 64 | $27 |
| MS 64+ | $30 |
| MS 65 | $40 |
| MS 65+ | $45 |
| MS66 | $65 |
| MS 66+ | $135 |
| MS 67 | $250 |
| MS 67+ | $825 |
| MS 68 | $11,000 |
1944-S Quarter: Grading and Value
With a mintage of roughly 12.5 million, the 1944-S has the least number of 1944 Washington quarters.
For context, there are about 8.5 1944-P quarters for every 1944-S quarter. This scarcity makes These coins have the highest value of all circulated 1944 quarters, with prices ranging from $6 for a low-grade quarter to $14 for an almost-circulated coin.
Similarly, uncirculated 1944-S quarters also have higher prices than the Philadelphia and Denver quarters. However, the price differences are in single digits, as an MS60 is worth $15, while an MS65 costs $46. The reason for the similar prices is that despite the low mintage, mint state 1944-S quarters are quite common, as many of these coins were hoarded by the roll by collectors. So there are roughly the same number of uncirculated 1944-S, 1944-D, and 1944-P quarters.
But the narrative changes for MS67 and MS68 coins, as there are more of these found with the S mark than the other mint marks. So, there’s a drop in value. An MS67 will fetch you $250, while an MS68 will get you $9,500.
However, the record for the most expensive 1944 quarter belongs to an MS68 1944-S quarter that sold for $16,100 at a Stack Bowers 2011 auction.
| 1944-S Quarter: Grade and Value Chart | |
| Grade | Value |
| Good (G4) | $6 |
| Extra Fine (XF40) | $9 |
| About Uncirculated (AU55) | $11 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $14 |
| MS 60 | $15 |
| MS 61 | $18 |
| MS 62 | $20 |
| MS 63 | $30 |
| MS 64 | $37 |
| MS 64+ | $40 |
| MS 65 | $46 |
| MS 65+ | $58 |
| MS66 | $75 |
| MS 66+ | $110 |
| MS 67 | $250 |
| MS 67+ | $800 |
Double Die Obverse Varieties: Values and Grading
Virtually all US coinage has doubled-die obverse (DDO) varieties, and the 1944 Washington quarter is no exception. The values of double-die obverse coins are always greater than the regular coins, as these varieties are highly desirable.
You can find DDO coins for all three mint marks of the 1944 quarter dollar. But you’d be surprised to learn that the S mint mark has the highest total of certified and graded DDO 1944 quarters, while the (P) has the least amount. And this is a complete reversal of the mintage numbers.
Due to having the highest documented number of DDO coins, the 1944-S DDO quarters have the least value at all grades. Circulated coins are worth $9 to $29, while the uncirculated quarters are valued at $32 to $250.
Denver DDO 1944 quarters have the second-highest total and second-highest value. You can get circulated 1944-D DDO quarters for $10 to $36. Uncirculated MS60 coins go for $47, while MS66 goes for $500.
Finally, the Philadelphia coins, having the least number of 1944 DDO quarters, have the highest value. Circulated coins cost between $10 to $125, while an uncirculated MS60 costs $160, and an MS66 is worth $1,150.
| 1944 Quarter, Double Die Obverse: Grade and Value Chart | |||
| Grade | P | D | S |
| Good (G4) | $10 | $10 | $9 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $15 | $12 | $10 |
| Fine (F12) | $25 | $15 | $12 |
| Extra Fine (XF40) | $60 | $20 | $22 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $85 | $30 | $27 |
| About Uncirculated (AU58) | $125 | $36 | $29 |
| MS 60 | $160 | $47 | $32 |
| MS 61 | $165 | $65 | $32 |
| MS 62 | $170 | $70 | $32 |
| MS 63 | $200 | $75 | $40 |
| MS 64 | $325 | $110 | $60 |
| MS 64+ | $360 | $110 | $65 |
| MS 65 | $500 | $135 | $90 |
| MS 65+ | $650 | $190 | $95 |
| MS66 | $1,150 | $500 | $250 |
| MS 66+ | – | – | $300 |
| MS 67 | – | – | $1,350 |
1944 Washington Quarter Dollar: Error Coins
A large number of 1944 error quarters were from the Philadelphia Mint. This is not to mean that the quality of these coins was subpar or worse than the other mints. It’s simply because Philadelphia minted significantly higher coins than the other two.
Generally speaking, error 1944 quarters tend to have greater value than non-error coins. The value of the coin depends on the kind of error. Some could go for as low as a few dollars, and some could be worth thousands. Some common errors seen in the 1944 Washington quarter include broad strike errors, struck-through errors, and die crack errors.
1944 Quarter with Struck on Nickel Planchet Error
This 1944 (P) Washington quarter has been struck on a Jefferson five-cent planchet, which is smaller than the 25-cent. As a result, the coin doesn’t accommodate the complete quarter dollar design.
On the obverse, more than half of the word “LIBERTY” at the top has been cut off. While on the reverse, it’s the value “QUARTER DOLLAR” that’s been affected.
Wrong planchet errors occur when a wrong die is used for the planchet or a wrong planchet is mistakenly fed into the dies. This type of error coins are quite valuable as many numismatists and collectors desire them. For instance, this error 1944 quarter is an MS62 worth $5,000
1944 Quarter Struck Through Grease Error
This coin is a 1944-S with a struck through grease error.
Struck through grease errors happen due to the build-up of grease in the recesses of the die. When such dies are used to strike coins, the filled areas are partially or completely not transferred to the planchet.
In the case of this 1944-S quarter, the grease error can be seen on Washington’s hair, which isn’t as well-defined as the rest of the coin. The coin is ANACS graded as MS62, with a $120 price tag.
1944 Quarter with Broad Strike Error
Here is a 1944 quarter with a broad strike error, which has made the coin wider than normal.
Broad strikes like this one are mint errors that happen when a coin is struck outside the retaining collar. Before the strike, coins are annealed to make them a bit soft, and without the restraining collar, the annealed coin will expand and become flat due to the immense pressure from the strike of the die press.
Broad-struck coins can be off-center or on-center, but this 1944 quarter is on-center and has all the design elements. It is ANACS certified as MS60 and costs about $75.
1944 Quarter Reverse Die Crack Error
As the name suggests, die crack error coins result from dies with cracks in them. When these cracked dies strike the planchet, the metal fills the cracks, leaving behind a coin with a raised line that’s the length and shape of the crack.
For this $30 1944 error quarter, the crack is on the reverse face; it starts at the 11 O’clock edge of the coin, passing through the letter A in STATES before stopping on the eagle’s beak.
1944 Quarter Struck on Steel Planchet
With a price tag of $16,800, this NGC graded MS62 1944 error quarter is one of the most valuable of all the 1944 Washington quarters.
The quarter was struck on a zinc-plated planchet, rather than the correct silver planchet meant for Washington quarters.
In 1944, towards the end of World War 2, the Philadelphia mint produced about 25 million zinc-plated steel coins for a war-torn Belgium, one of these planchets must have gotten into the die for a Washington quarter, resulting in this error quarter.
Due to the smaller size of the steel planchet, some elements of the quarter design were not captured on the coin. The word “LIBERTY” is missing from the obverse, while on the reverse it’s the value “QUARTER DOLLAR” that’s missing.
1944 Quarter Struck on the Wrong Planchet Error
Here is another 1944 quarter that was struck on a wrong planchet – A Philippines 5 centavo made of copper-nickel-zinc alloy.
The Philadelphia mint struck about 22 million of these Philippines coins, and one of the planchets was fed into the dies for the 1944 quarter.
Not only is the coin undersized for a 25-cent design, but the strike is also about 10% off-center. The result is that half of the design isn’t shown on the coin, this is most obvious on the reverse where the eagle is headless.
The coin is ICG graded as AU58 and is worth around $1,000.
Jenson is a professional numismatist, a dedicated coin collector, a graduate of the College of Business at Oregon State, a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and an overall coin nerd. He is the founder of Coin Value List.